Microfeatures placed on an object can provide for advantageous surface properties for such an object. By including a plurality of microfeatures on the surface of an object, other characteristics may be imparted to the object, such as increased hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, self-cleaning ability, hydro-dynamics drag coefficients, aerodynamic drag coefficients, frictional properties, and optical effects. Take the development that has been put into superhydrophobic surfaces. Superhydrophobic surfaces were first inspired by the characteristic water repellency of the lotus leaf. There are also a number of surfaces found in nature in both the plants and insects that exhibit these water repelling properties. Research and development has been put into developing surfaces mimicking nature that can reduce the contact angle hysteresis of water by maintaining an air-water interface above the depressions between the peaks of the surface roughness. It has also been shown that it is advantageous to have multiple levels of roughness in order to increase advancing and receding contact angles while simultaneously minimizing hysteresis.
However, historically, these microfeatures were applied to surfaces as coating or adhesives and therefore are prone to wear off the surface. Over time the properties provided by the microstructures are lost given the peeling or premature removal of the coating. Further, the coating can be difficult to apply consistent to curved surfaces and in applications such as molds or other industrial uses, can quickly wear aware from the manufacturing tool. Further, metal tools are frequently used for manufacturing and having such tools with microfeatures that are incorporated into the surface of the tool rather than applied as a coating would be advantageous, particularly if these tools were metal.
Therefore, it I an object of this invention to provide a manufacturing method for manufacturing articles resulting in a metal tool such as a mold or EDM head.
It is another object of this invention to provide a manufacturing method for manufacturing articles with microstructures integrated into their surfaces rather than through coatings.
It is another object of this invention to provide a manufacturing method for manufacturing articles having integrated microfeatures on curved surfaces.